Classmate Affection
by Markoose
Summary: Cloud is doing well at college, getting good grades, keeping out of trouble. That is however, until class 'cool guy' Zack Fair borrows his pen to shoot a spitwad. Will Cloud hate him for it, or will they start to get along? Zack X Cloud. rated M for later
1. One

The lecture was dragging on and on. Seconds seemed like minutes, minutes seemed like hours, and the professor seemed like a berk. Never before had Cloud heard so much rubbish, all said by one person. Nearly half the class was falling asleep, and the other half were doodleing, or writing notes to each other.

Cloud just sat, and wrote boring notes about the boring lecture. He felt a tap on his shoulder as he wrote, making him jump out of his skin. He turned around to see the most popular guy in the class leaning in towards him.

"Hey, you got a pen I can use? Mines broken" he asked, giving Cloud a cheeky smile that sent a tingle down his spine.

It took Cloud a moment to realise that he was being spoken to by Zack, but when he did, he rushed to his bag to search for a pen for him to use. He said nothing, there was nothing he could think of to say. Once he found the pen, he span back around in his seat and passed the pen to the raven haired student.

After Zack gave him a nod of appreciation he took the pen and to Clouds shock and surprise, started to take it apart. He removed the tip and then the inside, he took a piece of paper and licked it before shoving it into the pen and blowing it out at the back of another students head.

Zack said nothing as he put the pen back inside its outer shell, screwed the tip back on and handed it back to Cloud. He thought nothing of the fact that the first time he had ever spoken to this boy was to get a pen to shoot a spitball at someone. Clearly he didn't care about first impressions, because these ones... weren't good.

The bell rang and everyone leaped out of their seats, running from the professor who was still trying to bore them out of their minds by giving them homework at the last minute. Cloud began packing his books away as all of his classmates headed for the student union bar. Just when he thought he was alone, he felt another tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see that it was from exactly the same person as before. Zack was stood behind him with a bit of a sheepish and apologetic grin.

"Hey, I'm... uh... I'm sorry about earlier" Zack said. "The other guys, they dared me to" he continued to explain.

"And you think that's alright?" Cloud questioned, failing to keep his voice down.

"Look, if you're that bothered I'll get you a new pen!"

"Just drop it!" yelled Cloud, flinging hid bag around his shoulder and making his way to the door. Zack took a step towards Cloud as he left.

"Then how about lunch?" he shouted.

Cloud stopped in his tracks and turned around, a puzzled look sprawled across his face.

"Huh?"

"Let me buy you lunch"

Cloud was shocked, of all the things he had thought someone as popular as Zack Fair could say to him, this hadn't even crossed his mind.


	2. Two

When Zack had suggested lunch together it had stirred images of a greasy burger and fries in the campus canteen. The image the blonde boy was presented with was quite the opposite. H couldn't help but gaze around in mild astonishment as he and Zack were taken to their seats. The look of confusion on Cloud's face caused the other to speak.

"Don't worry, this isn't a date or anything, this place just does nice food, that's all." He said, explaining the interesting location.

"I wasn't going to say anything" Cloud Retorted.

Cloud didn't look up at Zack for a while after that, worried he would be looking back, and he knew that the slightest connection would make him blush. Then again, something inside him didn't what him to not be looking either, but the fear of embarrassment was far too high to risk it, and so his eyes stayed firmly down.

The waitress came by not long after and pulled out her pad to take down their orders, she turned first to Cloud.

"Oh, I'll just have a small green salad pleas, I'm watching my figure" he said with a chuckle.

"Yeah..." mumbled Zack jokingly, just loud enough for Cloud to hear.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Cloud asked back, a foul look on his face.

"Nothing, I was just... oh never mind, I'll have the soup, thank you." He said, returning the menus. "And can we have two glasses of the house Rosé please?" He added.

"Certainly, ill be back with that for you and your... Boyfriend in just a moment." She said with a smile.

"Wait, were not..." Cloud called back at her, going bright red. He looked over to Zack for support but only found him smiling mock-sweetly at him, obviously finding the whole thing hilarious. The blond with the strawberry face looked down to the safety of his menu, only to remember that it had been taken away.

Once again, Zack broke the silence. "So, tell me about yourself, that is why we're here after all." He said.

"And here I was thinking it was just to say sorry for spitting in my pen. Well there isn't much to say really. I was born and raised in Nibelheim, there wasn't enough there, so I decided to come to Midgar to study. You?"

"The same, only I'm from Gongaga, and to be honest, I never really wanted to be here, I was always happy at home, things were so easy there. But dad wanted me to do this and I can't let him down."

"Why not, it should be up to you?" Cloud said.

"I don't know, I suppose I'll stick to it, you never know, I might change my mind."

Shortly after, their food arrived, and so that ate, while telling stories of their childhood. When they were done, Zack paid the bill and they left. On the way out they passed the waitress who served them earlier. Acting on impulse, Zack grabbed Cloud around the waist and gave him a squeeze. When the blond turned to shout, he planted a big kiss on his lips before waving goodbye to the waitress, who looked blissfully unaware, and waved back.

Cloud just looked in shock, Zack and just kissed him, the coolest guy in the class... it was... amazing. Funnily enough, Zack thought it was too.


	3. Three

Cloud and Zack didn't speak to each other after their not-date. Whether it was through avoiding each other or simply not running into each other, neither knew. Cloud was sure of one thing, however, and that was that if he did speak to Zack, he wouldn't have a clue what to actually say, and so he didn't make an effort, as he considered it pointless...

The only times he actually got a glimpse of the raven haired boy, he was surrounded by other friends of his, all joking and laughing... no doubt about him, he was sure.

However, one day... Cloud found Zack making a surprise effort instead. Cloud was on his way to class, when a hand reached out of a janitor's cupboard and dragged him in. A voice cut through the darkness, a voice that made his spine tingle.

"You know, I get the feeling you're avoiding me." Zack said.

"I haven't been avoiding you, I just haven't seen you around..." Cloud lied.

Zack's beautiful face appeared as he flicked on a light switch, he was leaning against the wall with another of his cheeky smiles spread across his face.

"Well that's a lie..." Zack admitted, his lips pouting slightly when he finished. Cloud wasn't listening anyway, he was far too obsessed with the raven haired boy's lips, and how they moved. They were so smooth, and soft, oh yes, Cloud remembered...

"So you like my lips then eh?" asked Zack.

"What?!"

"Cloud, you were totally staring!"

"Look, why did you drag me in here? I have a class to go to."

"Ooh, you're a little moody aren't you? Oh well, I like spirit." Zack said, not entirely sure if he was joking or not. Even so, Cloud was staring again. "Are you even listening?" Zack sighed.

"Huh"

"Well, if you like them that much..." he said lunging forwards and grabbing the blond. Their lips connected with such force it nearly knocked the wind out of Cloud. It was happening again, and both felt just as confused as the first time. The kiss felt like it wasn't real, but at the same time it was as though it was perfect. Zack moved forwards again, pushing Cloud against the back wall of the closet. The blond wrapped his arms around the other, as his leg was lifted by an exploring hand. He felt something brush against him, something that sent shivers all over his body. Cloud's hands moved down from Zack's neck, down brushing along his strong arms, down past his slim and toned waist, down, down, down...

The bliss that the two were enjoying was cut abruptly by the sound of the school bell.

"Shit!" Cloud shouted, jumping out of Zack's arms. "I'm late for class!" he ran to the door before pausing to turn back to the best kisser he had ever met. "We can talk later, right?"

"Sure." Zack said with a smile. This time the smile wasn't cheeky, or cocky, or secretly rude... it meant something, it was the first honest, caring smile Cloud had seen Zack make, and that's because it **was** the first caring smile that Zack has made.


End file.
